Police in Sherbrooke, Que., have opened a criminal investigation into recently circulated pamphlets that target the area's Muslim community.

The pamphlets have appeared in people's mailboxes and tucked underneath windshield wipers. One of the pamphlets accuses a local mosque of having ties to the militant Islamic group Hamas, and is signed by a group calling itself "Le Réveil," or the wake-up.

"We are transparent people," said Hafid Agourram, who heads an Islamic association in the area. "Our doors are open, our reports are available to everyone and are available on the website of the Canadian Revenue Agency."

Another pamphlet claims "radical Islam" is on the rise and is seeking to impose a system of law that is both homophobic and favours pedophiles.

"Don't let these abusers turn Quebec into Islamic territory," the pamphlet reads. It is signed by a group that calls itself "La Meute," or the pack.

A website that carries the group's name says it seeks to "unite those who are worried about the invasion of radical Islam that is surreptitiously advancing across our lands and calmly gravitating towards the political sphere."

Agourram filed a complaint with Sherbrooke police about the first pamphlet. A spokesperson for the department said it is the first time the force has seen pamphlets like these appear in people's mailboxes.

A similar tract appeared last month in Quebec City. That pamphlet also accused a local mosque of having ties with violent Islamic groups, and sparked a police probe.